


Something Borrowed, Something Blue

by shyfoxes



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, AtLA AU, Betrothal Necklace, Dramatic Lance, Fluff, Gen, Keith and Shiro are Siblings, M/M, Proposals, Sibling Bonding, Smitten Keith, this is sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 10:45:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8841562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shyfoxes/pseuds/shyfoxes
Summary: Keith asks Shiro to help him make Lance a betrothal necklace. The results are less than stellar, but that’s okay. ATLA AU.





	

Keith looked down at the stone in the center of his palm.  The longer he stared the worse it seemed to get with each passing moment. The stone had been smooth and unblemished when Keith had gotten it first from Hunk.  

Emphasis on _had been_.  

"Honestly, what the hell," Keith muttered.  

Keith narrowed his eyes at it, the ruined design and groaned hopelessly to himself. He put his head in his hands, wondering if he should just be resigned.  

Maybe it was a sign from the Spirits. 

It was probably good foresight on Hunk's part to give Keith about three more stones to work with. The last time Keith had been goaded into some weird game about drawing, he'd meant to doodle Shiro but somehow they'd seen some weird looking water dragon. (Allura had assured him that it was a very nice dragon as she pointed to its feet and called it an eye.) 

It had been a long, grueling couple of years. Between the Galra rebel group overthrowing the Fire Nation and installing themselves, to the destruction of the Airbenders, to Keith breaking his brother out of Galra hands and then reluctantly joining Avatar Allura's ragtag group, Keith was really missing those little moments in between.  

Keith had been the one who didn't want to join the most. He had just gotten his brother back, how could they ask it of them to join their group, to train the Avatar firebending and take on the Galra after all he had gone through to save him? Worse yet, _while_ he had been saving Shiro, Allura and her gang had busted in none too subtly and nearly botched his rescue attempt. 

Back then the only other worse thing Keith could foresee other than losing Shiro again and the total takeover by the Galra was _Lance_. 

Lance who was loud, infuriating, competitive, and had decided the moment he'd met Keith in the catacombs under of one of the Galra's Impenetrable Prisons that they were rivals. 

(Honestly, he had been so annoying then. Sometimes Keith could still feel an echo of his own annoyance that day. It was always overpowered by a rush of affection.) 

Lance who hit on anyone that moved and struck out in almost the same breath. Lance whose waterbending was so totally unhoned and messy when they'd met that it was incredible he'd survived as long as he had when Keith had met him. 

Lance who Keith had watched develop his skills, hard-working and ravenous to get better, taking each victory and loss with more severity and thought than his cocksure, seemingly egotistical attitude portrayed. 

(Keith could still remember the Siege of the Northern Water tribe, and how vicious and impressive Lance had been, fueled by the moon and sweeping Galra away left and right. Keith's breath had hitched in his chest, watching the moonlight on the other boy's face shift, water flowing between his long, skinny fingers. When all was said and done, Keith couldn't resist taking those fingers between his own. Lance had flushed the prettiest shade.) 

Lance who had nearly died for him when a Galran general had shot lightning from their fingers towards him, and Lance had shoved him out of the way. 

Lance who he'd gathered into his arms, cradling him and his hand, fingers intertwined and who had grinned like a goddamn idiot at him about one-upping him. And Keith who was halfway between strangling him and kissing him for being such an idiot. He did the latter. 

 _Lance_ who Keith was goddamn suffering for by making the world's worst betrothal necklace in all the four nations. 

Keith looked at the stone again and threw it aside in a fit of rage. Flopping back on his bed for a while, Keith let himself seeth. With every angry exhale a breath of fire puffed out. He squinted at the general direction of where he'd thrown the stone. Then he gathered up the remaining three and the ruined first one, and bolted out to storm his way into Shiro's room. 

It took all of two loud raps before Shiro was sleepily opening his door. He rubbed his human hand down his face, fixing Keith with a peeved, exhausted look. A bit of drool was on the corner of his mouth and his hair looked wild.  

"If there isn't a comet coming straight for Earth or a pack of dragon moose headed straight here, I'll strangle you - 

Keith shoved the stones in his face. 

"I need your help. I'm going to propose to Lance," Keith said. 

Shiro's eyes flew open as did his mouth. He looked between Keith's fist and Keith's face and only blinked soundlessly. 

"At _3 in the morning_?" Shiro complained.  

"I've been working on it since this morning, Shiro. I didn't think it would be this hard," Keith said. 

"I'm pretty sure Lance will love anything you make him. It could be one line and he'd love it," Shiro said. He placated his brother despite his rising annoyance.  

It wasn't as if Lance was in danger of accepting anyone else's proposal. He had been dropping hints about betrothal necklaces since very early on in their adventures. Jokingly for all it was worth. Though maybe now there was a more hopeful edge. He'd taken to Keith faster than Keith had, but it didn't make either of their feelings less real. 

Honestly, Keith should just let him sleep. 

"But that's just it! I know he'll like anything I give him. That's why it has to be better than what I can do. Almost perfect," Keith said, finishing off into a mumble. Embarrassed, he said, "He's worth that and more." 

Shiro let his head thump against his door, resigned. "Okay. But can't it wait a few more hours? Like when the sun is up?" 

Keith's eyes narrowed as he pouted. 

"No? Whatever. Get in here then," Shiro said.  

He stepped aside to let Keith in then swiftly kicked him in the behind as revenge. 

- 

Shiro and Keith stood in silence. They didn't look at each other just at Shiro's desk where the stones lay. A variety of expressions passed Shiro's face, his mouth flexing as he tried to get himself to speak. He was halfway between a wry laugh and a grimace.  

He settled for patting his brother on the shoulder. 

"I guess we both suck at betrothal necklace making," Shiro said, trying to joke. 

Keith glared at him over his shoulder, sniffing. He didn't shake his hand off, though, and went back to glaring at each stone. 

"You're lucky Allura is an airbender, then," Keith shot back. "Or else you'd be in just as much trouble as I am." 

Shiro squawked, unable to refute but flailing in embarrassment. "Watch your mouth!" 

Keith had really wanted to make something meaningful. All his designs had been for naught. An emblem of fire and water had morphed into some strange looking goop shape. They scrapped that. Shiro helped carve the next one. It was to be an image of a lily that Lance had loved when they'd gone trouncing through a swamp on their way to the Earth kingdom. When Shiro had finished, a blank grin had settled on his face as he handed the stone to Keith.  

Keith threw the stone at the back of his brother's head and accused him of having a terrible sense of humor as to draw a mothbear on it. (It wasn't Shiro's intention but now he could see where his brother might see that). 

The third was probably the marginally best out of them all. Marginally being used loosely. Marginally being used _kindly_. 

It was, as Keith had been hoping to make, an image of the moon. The moon spirit was a central figure for waterbenders just as water was. The endless pull and push, a mutual give and take by each spirit had first taught their people how to manipulate water. Not just for combat but for healing, for life.  

Keith had hoped maybe it would represent them, too. 

Even after all their bickering, and The Split the group had inevitably gone through when Balmera had been taken, the group, Lance and Keith, had come back together again.  Inevitable like the moon pulling the waves.

Instead, he got some ragged looking half-thing, more like a sickle than a moon. Keith moved to fall back against Shiro's bed. He took up most of bed, forcing Shiro to perch on a small corner. 

"This isn't a sign, is it?" Keith muttered. "That the universe doesn't want us together?" 

Shiro shot him a confused, incredulous look. "You're being dramatic. This is what being around Lance has taught you. When did you start caring about what the Universe thinks? Not even stampeding badgermoles could have stopped you." 

He drew his brother up to sit. He dropped the moon stone into Keith's hands and closed his hand around it. 

"Finish what you started," Shiro said. "Or so help me I'll tell Pidge you would be glad to be her guinea pig." 

Keith took the necklace band from his pocket and settled back at Shiro's desk to attach it on. Keith had been very specific about the band when he'd asked Hunk for help. It was to be blue, but it had to be the same as Lance's eyes. (He'd gotten the biggest eye roll for that, but Hunk had come through.) 

- 

"...My family is coming to visit!" Lance said as way of greeting. "You already know how they were about me leaving, and anyone leaving in general. But they're coming here! They want to meet Allura and everyone and see how cool a waterbending master their son has become."  

Lance swooned at himself, falling against Keith's shoulder dramatically. He laid his hand over his hand, sighing with exaggerating feeling at how he was sure his siblings would be wowed at his escapades.  

The betrothal necklace was a known weight in Keith's pocket, heavy and obvious to him.  

It had taken a good solid hour of both steeling himself and getting kicked out by Shiro to seek Lance out in the gardens out back of the Fire Palace that morning.  

Lance rested his arm on Keith's shoulder and shot him a cheeky grin. Keith had to resist getting off topic to take his face between his hands and spend the next few minutes – or hours – recommitting Lance's reactions and the feel of him under his fingers to memory. 

"So what brings you here today, Keithy? I thought you'd be busy helping Shiro and Allura out or something," Lance asked. 

It didn't escape Keith that Lance looked a little relieved. Keith put his hand into his pocket and found his voice. 

"There was something more important I had to do," Keith said. 

Lance's eyes flashed playfully, a crooked grin rising to his face. He cocked a hand to rest against his face, the index finger touching his chin as the other fingers fanned out like he was divulging a secret. He laughed like, "Oh ho ho?" And batted his lashes at the other boy. 

Keith elbowed him.  

"If you keep that up, I won't give you what I came here to give you," Keith said, trying to play cool. His hands were gross and sweaty. 

Lance's eyes lit up. He looped his arms around Keith's neck, dropping his weight and forcing Keith to dig his heels down to support the both of them from toppling down.  

"How roooomantic, Keithy, a gift. What is it? A new waterbending scroll? Tickets to that new Fire Island play? What about an autograph from my favorite singer? Come on -" 

Keith maneuvered Lance's arms up higher on his shoulders as he took the necklace out of his pocket and in between his hands. He twisted, thwarting Lance's efforts to get a peek.  

Keith bit his lip. 

"Don't...don't be too disappointed, okay? I went through three of these," Keith said. 

"Three of what? Come on, Mullet, you can't say stuff like that and not let me see. Come on, come on!" 

Keith held the necklace up by its ends, the stone facing Lance. From his view it almost looked like it was already nestled on Lance's neck. The  necklace looked so out of place held up to the smooth, unmarred brown of Lance's neck. Lance's arms went stiff around Keith's neck, all motions freezing. 

"Keith," Lance said, voice faraway. "Are you – are you serious?" 

Keith winced. He took hold of one of Lance's arms, squeezing it gently. He didn't dare look up. He swallowed heavily and braced for whatever was to come. 

"Lance, listen. I tried okay? I know it's ugly. But I tried. If you want, we'll just forget it -" 

"You must be out of your mind if you think I'm letting you go back on a _proposal_  just because you can't draw,Bison-Breath," Lance hissed. He took Keith's shoulders in his hands and shook him.  

Keith blinked. Lance squinted. 

"Uh -" 

"What is that on there? A scythe? No wait! Is that the moon?" Lance said, voice rising in volume. "It is, isn't it? Oh my gosh, Keith." 

Keith looked between Lance and the necklace. His mind was in a fog, thick and unnavigable, as he watched Lance gush about the necklace. Lance sniffled loudly, a big fat tear at the corner of one eye.  

"So, you – like it?" Keith ventured. 

"Were you not paying attention? Of course I like it!" Lance cried. "What are you waiting for? Put it on me!" 

"So, wait, that's a yes, right?" 

Lance fixed him with a look, all the world's exasperation and lack of patience rolled into one; his eyebrow was cocked. Keith grinned. 

Keith bent forward as Lance tilted down just a smidge. He watched the necklace rest onto Lance's neck, nestled and right. He glanced up at Lance, watching him looking back at him intently, front teeth in his lower lip and failing to stave off a big grin. Keith’s heart was fit to burst, too big and loud in his own chest. Keith smiled back.  

Keith rested his chin on Lance's shoulder and reached around to secure it. Lance buried his face into Keith's neck and laughed, hooking his hands around Keith's waist and holding him there, secure.

**Author's Note:**

> You've heard of Pining Keith but get ready for Smitten Keith! 
> 
> I was trying to write sleeping beauty shallura and I got distracted. Short and silly.  
> Also you can catch me at my twitter if you want, talking to myself about nonsense @cheshireree.
> 
> original here--> http://cheshire-ree.tumblr.com/post/154437730973/something-borrowed-something-blue


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